WS - C - Law Enforcement Assessment - Final Report

Historical Perspective continued: Services relating to public safety, specifically law enforcement, have been contracted with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office for decades. These services have been adequate in the past, but as Tiffin continues to rapidly expand, it finds itself at a crossroads. Should Tiffin stay the course of contracting law enforcement services with the Sheriff’s Office now and into the future similar to other growing communities like Bondurant and Grimes or should Tiffin choose another course, similar to its neighbor North Liberty, and began a planning to create a Tiffin police department? Tiffin has enjoyed a relatively minimal cost for policing similar with the other small communities in Johnson County. However, as the fastest growing city in the State, with the increase in population comes an increases for calls for service at a much higher rate than other communities in Johnson County not experiencing similar growth. These additional needs will come with additional expenses and a potential opportunity for Tiffin to create their own police department. Whether or not Tiffin should create a police department and when, if ever, this department should be created is the basis for this report and assessment. Current Coverage & Current Needs: As of July 1, 2021, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office is contracted with the City of Tiffin for a total of seventy- five (75) hours per week, at a rate of $47.00 per hour, for an annual expense of $183,300. The cost of this coverage is an excellent value for the City of Tiffin with no other additional costs such as overtime, vehicle replacement, health insurance, etc. However, a review of 2019 and 2020 calls for service by day of the week and time of day would indicate Tiffin needs additional coverage. 2019 Calls for Service by Week Day 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun 2|Page